The English side together with Wales find themselves placed in the same pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, setting up a major early clash in Australia. They are joined in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This draw echoes their infamous clash in the group phase of the 2015 tournament, where a Welsh win at England's home ground played a part in the English team's shock group stage elimination.
Other Notable Group Draws
Ireland and the Scots have likewise been drawn in a group together, replicating the scenario from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, Ireland secured a 36-14 win, with Scotland failing to progress to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Portugal, both impressed as underdogs in France, complete that same group.
Notably, the winners of these two groups cannot meet holders and top-ranked the Springboks before the showpiece match, assuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Knockout Ramifications
Should the pools play out according to the current world rankings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of the English and the Irish all the way to the final.
In that scenario, Argentina would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same half of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Draw Major Opener
Hosts Australia find themselves alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and three-time winners New Zealand in Group A.
Australia will open the World Cup in the city of Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a marquee match designed to launch the competition.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have been paired with the Azzurri, the Lelos and the Oaks. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the United States and Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Los Pumas will face the Flying Fijians, Los Leones and Canada as the World Cup grows to 24 teams from the 20 who took part in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will feature a last-16 round for the very first time in the competition's history.
Although the victor of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts initially, they will have to face the runner-up from Group B – most likely the Italians – in the last 16.
Four of the other six group winners will face a team that finished third from the pool stages.
RWC 2027 Groups
Pool A
- New Zealand
- Australia
- Chile
- Hong Kong
Pool B
- South Africa
- Italy
- Georgia
- Romania
Pool C
- Argentina
- Fiji
- Spain
- Canada
Pool D
- Ireland
- Scotland
- Uruguay
- Portugal
Pool E
- France
- Japan
- USA
- Samoa
Pool F
- England
- Wales
- Tonga
- Zimbabwe
